Professor Burbage’s expression softened, clearly warmed by the young Hufflepuff’s enthusiasm and the thoughtfulness behind his answer. “You are mooooooooooore than okay, Mr. Cadwallader,” she said with a small smile. “That was a wonderfully reasoned response aaaaaaaaand you’ve touched on something very special. Chiron is indeed often associated with Sagittarius and his legacy as a healer, teacher, and guide to heroes makes him a beautiful symbol to explore in magical theory. I’m especially fond of your idea that the constellation’s starlight might enchant tools of instruction or even something symbolic, like an apple. I wouldn’t know, but perhaps apples plucked under these specific set of stars are more flavorful or perhaps more juicy ― one of you will have to let me know. There’s great creativity in that and creativity, in this classroom, is most welcome.”

She shifted slightly as she floated, the soft shimmer of her translucent robes catching the light just so. “But let me gently elaborate on one smaaaaaaaaaaaaall point to expand your skyward thinking. There are actually two centaur constellations in the night sky, those being Sagittarius and Centaurus. While Sagittarius is often linked with Chiron, some older myths assign Chiron to Centaurus instead. This is particularly because Sagittarius is sometimes portrayed as more warrior than healer. Lucky for us, though, both constellations carry a strong association with healing and wisdom. In fact, Centaurus is famously tied to the knowledge of medicinal herbs and plant lore which means if we ever work with that constellation in class I may just have to call upon your studmuffin of a Herbology professor to assist!” She offered a bit of an eager wiggle before continuing. “During certain nights when Centaurus is at its zenithーmeaning one of these constellations is in the highest point in the sky, my dearー some healers and Herbologists are known to steep pain-relieving herbs such willow bark or mugwort juuuuuuuuust to name a few, beneath its starlight to enhance their natural properties. This process comes from ancient centaur practices and is thusly called Centaurion Brewing in which it is believed to align the herb's energy with Chiron's healing influence, making the resulting infusion more effective.”


She caught Miss Bay’s sleepy eyes and gave her a small, knowing smile. Just a quiet nod of acknowledgment but otherwise left the young Hufflepuff the space to simply rest in her success. They were just about done here and then the little Miss and her peers could properly rest their eyes in their beds before they had to do it all over again tomorrow.

Marion turned towards Miss Joshi, completely tickled as her translucent features brightened with interest. “A thoughtful observation, INDEED, Miss Joshi. You’ve landed on one of the constellation’s most ancient associations,” she said warmly. “Taurus has long been a symbol of strength, it is true, but not just simply brute force. Think of endurance, steadiness, and even resilience.” She tapped her fingers thoughtfully against her chin. “In fact, some wandmakers and spellwrights believe spells cast under Taurus’s influence are more stable and less likely to fizzle or backfire eeeeeeeeeeespeciaaaaaaaaaaaaally when sustained concentration or physical stamina is required.” She glanced toward the string instruments, where the soft remnants of Miss Bay’s violin still shimmer faintly in the space above. “For example, a charm meant to reinforce protective enchantments, such as Protego Maxima, might hold longer if cast beneath Taurus’s gaze. Or, in brewing, Taurus is sometimes invoked to strengthen bone-healing tinctures like Skele-Gro or help solidify the consistency of complex salves.”